Zipp Handlebars

Zipp’s New 2014 Bars Focus on Fit

Three reach options and new ergonomics meet modern fit trends

Joe Lindsey

(Photo by Zipp’s redesigned Service Course SL-70 handlebar is a bike fitter’s dream, with two options in five widths and a compact reach and drop that help accommodate more upright positions. (Joe Lindsey))

Fit trends change over time, and while the basic drop handlebar shape hasn’t changed since its inception, the bar ergonomics see continual tweaks to adapt to current needs. Just look for a picture of Sean Kelly in his racing days to see what the modish handlebar shape looked like 30 years ago.

The most significant change in the last 5 to 10 years is the tendency to rotate the bar upward, creating a flat to slightly upward ramp at the transition from the tops to the brake hoods.

Problem: That upward rotation can, on many bar shapes, turn the drop portion into a steep, almost unusable slope, rather than a flat section that offers maximum control while descending or sprinting.

Bar makers have addressed this problem to varying degrees, but Zipp’s redesigned Service Course SL line takes possibly the most holistic approach, with various reach options as well as different bends and a modified geometry to better reflect modern fit trends.

The new line features four bars: the SL-70, SL-70 Ergo, SL-80, and SL-88. The number refers to the millimeters of reach, but there’s more to it than that. Many handlebars feature about 13 to 16 degrees of ramp, or downward slope, at the transition from the bar tops to where the brake hoods attach. The new Service Course SL line reduces that to 10 degrees, for a flatter transition, limiting the need to rotate the bar upward.

The less-radical ramp angle to the hoods produces a flatter transition that limits the need to turn the handlebar up. The SL-80 version shown here has a modified ergo drop. (Joe Lindsey)

The drop shapes are also different. The SL-70 features a compact drop (128mm) that curves back slightly toward the ramp; the SL-70 Ergo uses the same geometry but with a flattened top section. The SL-80 uses a modified ergonomic bend that measures out at 125mm), and the SL-88, the old-school roadies’ bar, is a classic bend with a roomy 130mm of drop. All four bars will retail for $110 each and will be available in October.

The point, says David Ripley, Zipp’s marketing manager, is to offer more fit options in the handlebar itself. A short-reach bar can provide an easier reach to the handlebar at the same stem length, which better preserves the bike’s intended handling characteristics.